Ten Biggest Factors that Affect Your Car Insurance Price

There are various factors that influence your car insurance price. Some of these are uncontrollable, whole others are influenced by choices you make or behavior you exhibit as a driver.

Those that you have no control over are age, gender and marital status. The factors that you do have control over are where you decide to reside, your driving practices and the make and model of your vehicle. Additionally, the number of accident claims you file, your driving record, how many times your car insurance has lapsed and your credit score will also influence your car insurance price.

Car Insurance Factors You Cannot Control

The three factors that you cannot control affect your car insurance price due to their association with certain statistics. If you are over the age of 25, you’ll enjoy a much lower price than if you are under that age. That’s because statistically drivers over 25 are less likely to be in accidents, and they tend to be safer drivers.

Gender is a major factor also. Women get in fewer accidents than men and therefore they get lower car insurance prices. By the way, if you’re married your rate for insurance will be lower than if you’re single. Statistically people who are married are less risky to insure.

Controllable Auto Insurance Factors

The controllable factors, once again, go towards determining your risk as a driver. Thus, where you live will affect your rates. If you reside in a suburban area, your auto insurance price will be lower than if you’re in a city. If you do live in a city, the bigger it is the higher your rate. Also, living in a high crime area will raise your auto insurance rates, as theft and vandalism put your car at greater risk.

Driving practices and the make and model of your vehicle can drive up your auto insurance rates. If you commute to work 70 miles and someone else drives six, then your car insurance price will be higher. Also, how many miles you drive per year will help determine how much you pay. The more miles you drive overall, the more expensive your insurance will be.

As far as your vehicle is concerned, the higher priced it is the larger your premium will be. However, certain safety features, such as side air bags and antilock brakes, can help lower the price of your car insurance.

The final four factors relate to how reliable you appear to be to the insurance agency. If you file a lot of accident claims, are convicted of various moving violations, allow your insurance to be cancelled due to missed payments and/or have a poor credit score, you are bound to pay a higher price than those who have these areas under control. (By the way, weighing a driver’s credit score to help determine their car insurance price is not allowed in all states. It depends on your state’s auto insurance laws.)

How to Pay Less

The primary factor that can influence your car insurance price is your behavior. If you’re a safe driver who has no speeding tickets, no DUI violations and no accidents, you’re going to be rewarded with the lowest rate possible. Thus, when it comes to the price of auto insurance the better behaved you are the more you will save. Drive safely!